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About annayott

Here they are: The future of the travel industry, the next generation of agents who will discover new places to go and new ways to connect with travelers. They exist in a 24/7 world of nonstop information, and communicate with each other, with other industry professionals and with clients through multiple platforms. They tweet. They share. They snap pictures and chat about their experiences. And they sell travel in ways that would have been unimaginable just a few years ago. They are Travel Agent’s top 30Under30 for 2014. Over the past several years this feature has created a buzz in the industry and also helped fuel a community of young professionals who enjoy being a part of a special growing niche in the travel industry. This year’s list of young agents, all of whom were under 30 when the year began, is a testament to our combined success.

We trust that by being named to this list, the selected young agents will be encouraged to stay in an industry that so clearly embraces new talent. We are also inviting them to participate, along with past “Under 30” alumni, in our fifth annual Young Travel Leaders Conference during Luxury Travel Exchange International in Las Vegas. Now, read on for the 30 freshest and most innovative young travel agents in the business.

Prior to becoming a travel consultant, Yott regularly went on vacations to warmer climates in winter. “Many of my friends and co-workers would often ask for my advice when planning their trips,” she recalls. “After helping plan a few trips and itineraries I naturally arrived to the point where I realized I wanted to take my passion for travel to the next level. Although I had no prior sales or travel industry experience, I was motivated to make this dream a reality. I started doing a lot of research and began making calls and reading everything I could about becoming a travel consultant.”

After four years with Dream Come True, Yott has learned how to handle a range of emergencies. Recently, a large family was going on a cruise. “They were departing from Florida in mid-February and, although I advised otherwise, they did not choose to purchase trip insurance for their cruise, or depart a day early,” she recalls. “A large winter storm hit the morning they were scheduled to fly out and board the ship. Their flight was majorly delayed and after scrambling with the airport/airline schedules I was able to get them on a last-minute connecting flight. Next I contacted and begged with their transfer operators to wait for them and, thankfully, they boarded the ship with about five minutes to spare! I know in the future that I may have clients who will choose not to add on trip insurance or depart earlier prior to a cruise, even when advised otherwise. However, I have this story to use as an example of what can go wrong, and can urge them to again rethink the worst case scenario.”

Joe Raube, president at Dream Come True, praises Yott’s drive and ambition and initiatives, from starting her own blog to being one of the first on the team to make her IATA ID qualification. “Her dependability and expert knowledge led me to promote her to an administrative role within the agency. I can always count on Anna to come through with the sale or new idea to help the agency grow.”

The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is now open and ready for riders! The Mine Train caps off the completion of the largest expansion in Magic Kingdom Park history.

On the Mine Ride the world of Sleepy, Doc, Grumpy, Bashful, Sneezy, Happy and Dopey comes excitingly to life on a rollicking, musical adventure into the mine “where a million diamonds shine”. As guests twist and turn through the mine, the cars rock back and forth, adding an extra family-friendly thrill element. Riders tour through the cavernous mine’s winding track – jutting outside to climb and dip through the wooded landscape, and then re-entering the mine at different points. Can’t wait to ride yourself? Take a virtual spin here!

The Mine Train also includes a fun Interactive Queue where riders can discover a series of mining stations prepared by Doc, here are some of the highlights:

Jewel Sorting – Follow Doc’s instructions, etched into a nearby plank, and help match jewels by color and shape as they flow down a wooden trough – a.k.a. dozens of touch-screen video displays.

Jewel Washing – After the jewels are sorted, grab ahold of a musical water spigot and start cleaning. Each spigot plays its own melody – heed Doc’s tips and you may hear a collection of familiar tunes!

The Vault – Inside the door of the mountain, enter the center of the vault to find a collection of wooden barrels overflowing with glowing stones. Turn each barrel to see the ceiling above you transformed!

You can get a FREE* Disney Dining Plan when you purchase a non-discounted 6-Night/7-Day Walt Disney Travel Company room and ticket package at select Disney Moderate, Disney Deluxe or Disney Deluxe Villa Resort hotels at the Walt Disney World Resort.

Or, you can get a FREE* Quick-Service Dining Plan when you purchase a non-discounted 6-Night/7-Day Walt Disney Travel Company room and ticket package at select Disney Value Resort hotels at the Walt Disney World Resort.

Sample Pricing:
FREE Disney Dining Plan** for $2,632*
For a family of 4 in a standard room at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort with Magic Your Way base ticket for stays most nights 9/13-10/3/14, 10/26-11/1/14, 11/9-11/20/14. Based on 6-Night/7-Day stay.
That’s a savings of $1,206!

FREE Quick-Service Dining Plan** for $2,075*
For a family of 4 in a standard room at Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort with Magic Your Way base ticket for stays most nights 9/13-10/3/14, 10/26-11/1/14, 11/9-11/20/14. Based on 6-Night/7-Day stay.
That’s a savings of $852!

I am so excited to soon be leaving for an 11-day adventure through beautiful Vietnam and Cambodia! I feel like it is such an amazing opportunity to be able to and I can’t wait to get started. For the beginning and end of our trip will be on our own sandwiched with a 7-day cruise down the Mekong River with AMAWaterways. Here’s a rundown of whats to come:

Days 1-4: Arrive in Siem Reap, Cambodia for a stay at the gorgeous Sofitel Royal Angkor. There’s plenty of time to get over the jet lag and then head to the amazing temples of Angkor Wat, including a look at Ta Prohm, and the Bayon Temple. I really have my fingers crossed for an elephant ride as well! We will also be spending this time in Siem Reap during the Cambodian (Khmer) New Year’s celebration which is typically celebrated for three days, can’t wait to see how it’s done! From there we transfer to our beautiful AMAWaterways ship and pass through local fishing villages as we depart for Kampong Chhang

Day 5: Board a local boat and tour the floating villages in Kampong Chhang. From there we take an oxcart ride and tour the pagoda pf Wat Kapong Tralach Pleu, also get the chance to tour a Buddhist Monastery and perhaps even receive a special blessing. Bonus highlight!

Day 6: A visit to the silk weaving village of Chong Koh and then set sail for the capital of Cambodia, Phnom Penh.

Day 7: Today will be spent touring the Phnom Penh which is known for its French colonial architecture , busy cafes, and vibrant nightlife. Also a visit to the spectacular Silver Pagoda and National Museum. The afternoon will include a somber visit to the Killing Fields and the Khmer Rouge’s S21 Detention Center.

Day 8: Crossing the border into Vietnam – a.k.a. a day of relaxing and recouping on the ship!

Day 9: Hop aboard small boats to a floating fish farm and navigate the small villages filled with stilt houses. From there take a trishaw to Tan Chau to visit a rattan mat-making and slippers workshop. Afterwards off to enjoy a Mekong folklore performance.

Day 10: A visit to the town of Sa Dec to see famous French writer Marguerite Daras childhood home. Then a visit to the French military base of Xeo Quyt and a tour of a French Gothic Cathedral. The day ends with a rice paper workshop and a candy making workshop. Yum!

Day 11: Say goodbye to the ship and head to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) where we get to spend our remaining hours touring the city and perhaps the Vietnam War Memorial and Museum. Then it’s time to say Au Revoir to Southeast Asia!

I can’t wait to meet the amazing people of both these countries and experience their culture… and the food! Until next time….

Just in time for that summer getaway! You can save up to 30% on rooms at select Walt Disney World® Resort hotels this summer. Add minimum 4-Day Magic Your Way Tickets to make it a package and get a discount on the tickets too!

Having recently returned from the new Fantasyland we had the pleasure of dining at Be Our Guest for Dinner. This reservation was a tough one to get our hands on but was well worth the effort and I can easily say it is now the BEST Table Service option within the Magic Kingdom! The restaurant is also transformed into a Quick Service dining option during lunch but we did not get the chance to try it out.

Upon arriving at Be Our Guest I was immediately pleased at how immersive the experience is. You must first cross the bridge with the Beasts Castle looming overhead and gargoyles guarding along your way. You are taken into the main lobby area when your table is ready and from there will be seated in either the West Wing, the Ballroom, or the Rose Gallery. For our visit we were seated in the Ballroom and I was truly astonished with how massive and breathtaking this space was! The Imaginears did an amazing job of duplicating the Beast’s Ballroom from the movie. Every detail, the painted murals on the ceiling, the sparkling chandeliers, the tiled floors, and even the snow falling from the balcony window outside.

The tables were lit romantically and each table setting had a beautiful napkin arranged in the shape of a rose. This would be a great place to celebrate an anniversary or special occasion! As it was I had a table with a 4 and 6 year old, who were eyeing the dessert cart parked next to us.

For Dinner I, and many others ordered the Pan Seared Salmon on Leek Fondue, two others ordered the Grilled Strip Steak with Garlic Butter Spread and Pommes Frites. Those who ordered the Salmon all agreed that this dish was a knockout! It was cooked to perfection and the leek fondue with Saffron potatoes was amazing. I can easily say that this was the best meal I had during our entire trip, I’m still dreaming about that Salmon! There were conflicting reports on the Strip Steak though. One said that it was cooked perfectly and the other said it was a bit tough and gristly.

The kids ordered the Grilled Steak and the Whole-Grain Macaroni. The steak was a winner and both brother and sister helped out with that. The macaroni was not a hit, but it had been a long day and neither of the kids were very hungry. Well, at least until the dessert cart pulled up! Each table is served by a dessert cart that is filled with a selection of assorted cupcakes and crème puffs. I am not a big crème puff or cupcake girl so I wasn’t too excited for the options however they did a great job on all of the choices in the cart. Each crème puff was filled to the brim with passion fruit, lemon meringue, or chocolate crème. And our strawberry cupcakes had some of the ripest and freshest strawberries I‘ve had in a long time. Most of us took our desserts to go since dinner was so delicious. Which we then got out to snack on while watching Wishes!

Halfway through the meal the Beast walked through all of the dining rooms and announced that he would be in the library available for a meet and greet once you had finished your meal. I don’t know if this is a limited time opportunity but I hope the restaurant keeps this around! It was a quick and easy way to get some great pictures with a character and the kids all loved it.

Overall I give this restaurant a 10 out of 10. The atmosphere was amazing and the majority of us were really pleased with our food with most of us agreeing it was the best meal of the trip. So next time you are in the World make sure to make some ADRs for Be Our Guest!